Northern lights in Maine tonight
Northern Maine, USA · Kp 6 from Portland · 49° magnetic latitude
Kp 1 is well below the Kp 6 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Maine.
7-day outlook for Maine
Tonight shows the live Kp reading. The nights after it show the Kp expected from any coronal mass ejection DONKI predicts will arrive that day, and a quiet baseline of Kp 2 where no arrival is forecast.
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
auroratonight.space
What Kp is needed here?
Maine's threshold comes from Portland, at a magnetic latitude of approximately 49°N. The Kp index - a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm), updated every 3 hours - needs to reach Kp 6 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from Portland.
At Kp 6, visibility is possible from Maine but skies need to be clear and dark. Cloud cover and light pollution remain the main obstacles even when Kp is high enough.
Best dark sky sites near Maine
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Acadia National Park
Get directions ↗A national park on Mount Desert Island, Maine. The park is officially designated an International Dark Sky Park. Cadillac Mountain at 466 m - the highest point on the US Atlantic coast - gives elevated coastal sky view to the north and east. The rocky shoreline and surrounding ocean give an unusually open horizon for New England. Popular with aurora photographers on strong Kp nights.
Aroostook County (The County)
Get directions ↗Northern Maine's vast agricultural region near the Canadian border. The potato-farming flatlands have minimal settlement and minimal light pollution - Bortle 3-4. The area sits at 47°N geographic latitude, around 49° geomagnetic latitude, and is one of the northernmost points in the continental USA. Access via Route 1 north of Houlton.
Moosehead Lake region
Get directions ↗The largest lake in Maine, 60 km long, in the remote interior. The lake is surrounded by wilderness with no major towns. Greenville at the southern end is the gateway. The lake's open north shore gives clear sky views. The area is popular for moose watching, snowmobiling in winter, and aurora chasing during strong events.
Best time to see the northern lights in Maine
Its threshold set by Portland at about 49°N magnetic latitude, Maine sits at the lower end of regular aurora territory. Only the deep mid-winter months of November through January offer nights dark enough for aurora to be visible, and only then when a significant geomagnetic storm pushes the auroral oval this far south.
Activity peaks around the September and March equinoxes, when Earth's magnetic field geometry is most favourable for coupling with the solar wind. Events during these two windows tend to produce the strongest displays of the year for observers at Maine's latitude.
Outside November through January, twilight is too bright for aurora viewing even during significant storms. The season is short, but the equinox months on either side of winter can extend it slightly when storm timing aligns.
Up to 8 locations
How often does the aurora appear in Maine?
Average nights per month the Kp reached Maine's threshold of 6+, from 15 years of geomagnetic data (2010–2024).
Counts the Kp 6+ threshold only - cloud cover and local darkness are not included.
Kp data: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, CC BY 4.0
Plan your trip to Maine
Best window
The August to October window averages 3 aurora nights - the strongest consecutive stretch of the year.
How long to stay
Aurora at this latitude requires patience - allow as many nights as possible during September.
Related pages
Northern Lights USA
USA-wide aurora forecast hub.
Read →Northern Lights Portland (Maine) Tonight
Portland - Maine coast, Cape Elizabeth, and Acadia 3 hours north.
Read →Northern Lights Michigan Tonight
Michigan Upper Peninsula - Lake Superior dark sky, similar aurora threshold.
Read →What Is the Kp Index?
What Kp 6 means for viewing at 49° geomagnetic latitude.
Read →Northern Lights Photography
Camera settings for Acadia coastal aurora photography.
Read →Aurora photographs from Maine
Real photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
Aurora over Maine
Aurora over Maine
Aurora over Maine
Aurora over Maine
Aurora over Maine
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